SCANDAL; The Conflict During Their Uniform Days, And Their Current Thoughts「Music, Fashion, Hair &am

SCANDAL; The Conflict During Their Uniform Days, And Their Current Thoughts「Music, Fashion, Hair & Make-up, Makes the Band」- Interview with Modelpress SCANDAL, the girls band who’ve welcomed their 10th year since forming, in August 2016. For these girls who have sealed their position as the fashionable, cool “girls band”, back then, they debuted with the catchy phrase,「High school girls in a band, with black hair and in uniforms」. As they sped along in these 10 years, they also had their moment when they made the decision to be rid of the uniforms too. Modelpress have undergone an interview with them this round, and we will unravel the girls band called SCANDAL, not just in regards to music, but also making visuals the central of our interview. (First of two episodes) ◆ The Coolness of “Not Deciding”, A Right by Girl Bands On 15th February 2017, the best album「SCANDAL」was released, in commemoration of their 10th year anniversary since forming. Having had their fans vote for the songs that were to be inlcuded, it contains the best of what they have right now. Plus, that artist shot is also the best of the coolest. ── The artist shot this time around is really cool. RINA: Thank you very much. Basically, since we’re girls, we all like fashion and make-up. For this round, we all tried to place each of our interests into the visuals, such as MAMI in trendy gangsta-like fashion, or HARUNA incorporating leopard print, so it turned out to a free and funky shot that has hints of fashion trends in it. Even we think it’s extremely natural ourselves. ── When it’s the 10th year anniversary, you’ll assume it’ll be a decisive shot, but I think it’s also really good that it’s a natural shot instead. RINA: Yes. We played around as we took it - that sort of feel. TOMOMI: In these 2, 3 years, we’ve also been doing photoshoots with a relaxed atmosphere. Previously, we have a lot of shots of us holding onto our instruments and standing at a specific position. ── Such occurances felt like they started from「Stamp!」(22nd Feb 2015). RINA: We took this in the dressing room, while we were on our world tour. TOMOMI: It’s like an off-shot. ── 「Take Me Out」(27th Jul 2016) has a street feel to it too. MAMI: These are streets that we always walk on usually. We shot them while walking constantly along Center-gai (Center Street). ── There are a lot more fashionable elements in these recent few singles, as compared to your earliest times. Do you have any episode as to why the change? RINA: It’s a right of girl bands after all, to be able to enjoy fashion while being musicians. We changed as we thought it’ll be fine to display more of that. Ultimately, in order for SCANDAL to continue on for a long time, there must be all kinds of gradual changes, so that we may be a band that also looks fun visually. Feels like we’ve come this far doing what we like. ◆ We Took Off Our School Uniforms Positively ── On the other hand when you started out, you gave the impression that you’re a high school girls band, with black hair and uniforms on. How did you decide on that very visual? RINA: That time, we were middle or high school students, with no money and who couldn’t quite afford costumes. So we talked about the costumes that we all owned, which turns out to be our school uniforms, and so we wore them to play lives. The record company and production company who saw that said to us,「There’s impact and it’s interesting」, thus, we debuted in blazers while carrying onto our musical instruments. ── For some time after your debut, you left a strong, impressionable visual as the,「High school girl band」. And then, you took off your school uniforms… RINA: We took off our school uniforms in the single,「LOVE SURVIVE」(27th Jul 2011). There’s also the scene of shedding our uniforms and going into a different outfit in our music video. It was around then that we changed. ── As SCANDAL, it was a moment of change that you all welcomed. RINA: Yes. We were thinking about the band’s future. We weren’t extremely hell-bent of doing it at that moment, but we’ve come to think about the kind of style we’ll like to adopt as a band 5 years later. Between the members, we talked about how we’ll like to continue on 10 years after our debut, how it’ll be painful to keep on wearing our uniforms all the time, and how we’ll like to display more of our personalities; We took off our school uniforms really positively. ── The school uniforms were taken off in a positive manner. RINA: Not only were we told that a band that wears school uniforms「isn’t a rock band」and「are idols」, but that in itself was also conflicting. There were other musicians who shared the same mindset about music as well, but why was it that we weren’t invited to rock festivals? We always had these regrettable feelings. And so, in order to let people know about our music and about us, we chose to wear clothes that we like that were close to our personal clothing. ── Were there any changes after taking them off? HARUNA: Many girls started coming to our lives. MAMI: Yes. During the timing when we shed our uniforms, we also changed our hair styles and hair colours overnight, so there were fans who copied that when they came for our lives and there was a huge increase in girls who’d upload those photos onto SNS too. RINA: The ones who got interested in our fashion also increased. We were really happy. ◆ Involving Visuals and Music ── After hearing all that, it feels like visuals and music influence each other. You’ve had your visual transitions, 10 years after your debut, so what do you think of that? RINA: I think the kind of fashion, hair and make-up and the music that we should do totals up to the band. You can like a person who wears certain clothing and who sings certain words, and I think without consciously realising it, fashion and music do connect together. MAMI: Now, it isn’t just music that makes fashion, but it’s often that fashion inspires music as well. For example, when you look at magazines and see the cute clothes on a musician whose music you’ve never heard of before, you’ll gain interest in the kind of person they are and check out their Instagram. Then you’ll want to try listening to that kind of music. ── I see. The ways people can reach out to artists has transformed, haven’t they? Do SCANDAL also feel it yourselves? HARUNA: Yes. RINA: I do feel it. MAMI: RINA is an exact example. RINA: I personally have an Instrgram, where I put out news about our own apparel brand,「Feedback!」, and where I also get followers who are girls that take an interest in me, and whom ask me,「What sort of make-up brands do you use?」「How are your nails like now?」There’ll be the ones that do listen to our music in actuality, and listeners who will be able to connect with each other from here onwards. Since I think that my lifestyle emulates in my musicianship, I am really happy that through SNS, I’m able to get people who have similar interests as I do to listen to our music. ── Such a way not only appeals to girls, but it is truly a special right by girl bands after all. ◆ “A Song” That Achieves Your Dreams ── There are many Modelpress readers whom are largely girls that are chasing their dreams. If you could choose a song to help encourage them, which one would it be? RINA: It’ll be「FREEDOM FIGHTERS」. When you’re in your 10s, it’s when you’re finding your path or working, and it’s that point in life that changes unexpectedly and where you’ll hit some walls. You’ll be concerned about how the world looks at you, and choose paths that are stable but may not be what you actually want to do. I think sometimes, people just happen to choose without purer feelings. However, what’s most important after all is to do the many things that you like, and to live a life that you’ll love. (This song) has the lyrics,「Why is it that you don’t choose a future that you like」. I’ll be really happy if people would like it when they hear it, and realise it’s fine to live freely and happily. ── That speaks right to the heart! Lastly, as SCANDAL the band, how would you like to be 10, 20 years later? RINA: I’ll like for us to be a band that can be enjoyed from all kinds of angles. Not just the people who have followed us after liking our music, but even for our fashion and for our characters. I’ll be happy if people would find all of that fun, and above all, if they’ll think that we’re a good band. ── Thank you very much. Original article by modelpress HERE, translation by fyscandalband. Part 2 coming up tomorrow night. -- source link

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